I previously talked about two kinds of dollmakers — those who work from the outside in and those who work from the inside out. Joyce Patterson is in the first category, but she is one of my favorite cloth doll artists. She specializes in caricatures of everyday life: Red Hat ladies, computer users, and yard workers populate her photo gallery, along with the occasional gypsy, fairy and mermaid. Her whimsical dolls are well-proportioned, highly detailed and meticulously costumed. It’s amazing how prolific she is — more than 750 dolls in twelve years and still counting — considering the detail that goes into each one. Many of her dolls carry, ride or wear props that are either found objects or made by Patterson herself.

You can find Patterson’s work at her own website and at ODACA.org. She has been a leader in the dollmaking community, belonging to two national organizations as well as founding the Texas Association of Doll Artists and her local Brazoria County Doll Club of Texas. Here’s hoping for another 750 dolls and beyond.